There is a considerable need for angular rate sensors for a variety of electronic measuring systems. For example, safety systems in cars for preventing injuries during roll-over or skidding systems require devices for determining the rate of change of axial alignment of the vehicle. Current sensors providing appropriate signals for such systems are expensive to manufacture as they require complex designs and corresponding expensive production technology.
Some prior art devices employ electrostatic excitation of an element and the detection of a capacitance change movement of the element induced by the Coriolis effect. These devices have generally been made using silicon-on-insulator wafers or poly-silicon. The limitations of such arrangements are that their silicon wafers are extremely costly, or that poly-silicon devices are of poor manufacturing quality having non-uniform characteristics and built-in stresses that can cause unintended characteristics to occur, particularly in any sprung elements.